Slow Horses makers set to bring British detective back to television over 3 decades after beloved BBC show

There have been a number of detective series reboots in recent years, including Lynley and the upcoming Dalziel and Pascoe, and now it seems another can be added to that list.

Deadline has reported that See-Saw Films, the production company behind Apple TV hit Slow Horses, are working on a new adaptation of the Lovejoy novels, after they were previously adapted into a beloved BBC series.

That previous adaptation starred Ian McShane in the title role, and ran for six seasons between 1986 and 1994. The Lovejoy novels were published between 1977 and 2008, and were written by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash.

Both the novels and previous series were set in East Anglia, and followed the titular Lovejoy, an antiques dealer who could quickly tell the difference between genuine artefacts and frauds. He often worked as a detective, foiling criminal plans.

Deadline reported that the rights to the Lovejoy novels were won by See-Saw Films following a bidding war last year, with the company reportedly wanting to create a "contemporary reimagining of the Lovejoy novels that will strip away the nostalgia of the 1980s adaptation and return to the unrulier spirit of the books."

Grant’s agent Lisa Moylett told the publication: "Jonathan Gash created an extraordinarily vivid and complex Lovejoy. A morally ambiguous, often unpleasant anti-hero brought to life through taut prose and page-turning stories steeped in the shadowy world of antiques.

"It was essential that any new adaptation kept the books front and centre. See-Saw’s bold, assured vision, led by Lisa Gilchrist and Helen Gregory, demonstrated exactly how to preserve the books’ wit and grit while reimagining them for today’s audience."

As well was producing Slow Horses, See-Saw is also known for its work on Heartstopper, Sweetpea, Apple Cider Vinegar and The Essex Serpent, as well as cinematic releases including One Life, The Power of the Dog and The King's Speech.

Alongside McShane, the original Lovejoy series also starred Chris Jury, Dudley Sutton, Phyllis Logan, Malcolm Tierney, Diane Parish and Caroline Langrishe.

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